(3rd LD) S. Korea, U.S. curtail joint military drills following Trump order

South Korea and the United States have reduced their annual joint military drills following an order from President Donald Trump, according to reports on August 19. The Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, initially scheduled to run from August 17-27, will now be concluded on Friday, with the duration shortened by nearly half. Field training exercises, a key component of the drills, will also be reduced, with ongoing discussions between the militaries to determine the specific plans.

The Pentagon stated that the downsizing does not weaken the allies' military capabilities and preserves essential readiness and training objectives. The decision comes after Trump's request to scale down the drills, citing cost concerns and a desire to maintain a friendly relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The UFS, one of the two major combined exercises conducted annually by the allies, primarily serves as a simulation-based command post exercise, with major field maneuvers included in the second phase.

The allies have partially scaled down the exercises, including canceling or converting certain events to simulations. The reduction of the drills poses a challenge for South Korea, as the exercise is used to validate its capabilities to lead combined forces once it regains wartime operational control. The South Korean defense ministry downplayed concerns that the scaled-back drills would weaken deterrence against North Korea.